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With this easy marshmallow fondant recipe, you can make your own fondant in absolutely no time at all and save lots of money at the same time!

With only 2 main and simple ingredients i.e. marshmallows and powdered sugar, you can make your own fondant icing super quick. And its yummy too!

A 2 tier cake in white. — A Wedding Cake Decorated with Marshmallow Fondant

Fondant is a lovely cake covering and decorating medium. You can use this fondant (also sometimes referred to as mm fondant icing) for covering cakes as well as making fondant decorations. Do note that fondant is sensitive to humid weather and if you live in a hot and humid country, it is best to work with fondant in an air conditioned room.

The first time I used fondant was when I attended a local wedding cake baking and decorating workshop almost 2 decades ago. At that time, we were taught how to make our own fondant and for a very long time after that, I only used that fondant recipe for all my cakes, including those that I made for my customers.

That recipe was a classic homemade fondant recipe, made by double boiling gelatin with water and then adding glucose syrup into. Icing sugar is then kneaded in until the fondant turns into a dough-like consistency and is no longer sticky. This was a long process but I followed it obediently.

As I started getting more cake orders, it was no longer practical to make my own fondant as it was too time consuming. And so I moved to commercial fondant. Now that I not longer actively take cake orders, using commercial fondant has taken its turn to be impractical. Since I do not use as much fondant as I used to, much of the store-bought fondant ends up expiring, unused. And so I turn to this simple recipe for marshmallow fondant which allows me to make the icing in small batches whenever I want.

White fondant on floured surface. — A Small Batch of Homemade Marshmallow Fondant Icing

What is Marshmallow Fondant?
Can You Make the Fondant without a Microwave?
How to Make
Notes - Success Factors
Like this homemade recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out
Recipe (Printable)

What is Marshmallow Fondant?

Technically, the marshmallow fondant is a short-cut version of my classic homemade fondant recipe. If you were to make your own marshmallows, you will learn that marshmallows are essentially made by double boiling gelatin and then whipping liquid sugar into it until it turns light and fluffy. The mixture is then left overnight to set and that's what makes marshmallows. And these steps are pretty much the same steps I used in making my classic traditional fondant.

So, by using marshmallows, the steps that require gelatin to be double-boiled and added with glucose syrup and such are cut out. Instead, ready-made marshmallows are melted (in a microwave or over a double boiler) and icing sugar is kneaded in until it forms into a dough-like consistency. The whole process is literally cut down into 2 easy steps.

Can You Make the Fondant without a Microwave?

You certainly can. Simply double boil the marshmallows until they melt and then add in the icing sugar and knead until the fondant forms.

Here is how to double boil marshmallows:

Place a pan filled with water on the stove.
Weigh your marshmallows and place them in another heat proof bowl or pan (ideally with a lid). Mini marshmallows are ideal as they melt faster than the regular ones. But if you don't have the mini version, simply cut your regular sized marshmallows into smaller bits before adding them into your bowl/pan. Add the required amount of water.
Place the bowl/pan over the pan filled with water.
Turn on the heat and let the heat from the boiling water melt the marshmallows. Covering the bowl/pan with a lid will help speed up the melting as it helps contain the heat so I you have a lid, use it.
Stir the marshmallows as they start to melt to help them melt to a more consistent rate.
Remove your bowl/pan from heat once the marshmallows are completely melted.

How to Make

Ingredients

Powdered sugar (icing sugar or confectioners' sugar)
White marshmallows
Water
Shortening (for greasing)
Coloring (optional)
Flavoring (optional)

Making the fondant

A poster of 6 images showing how to melt marshmallows over double boiler.

Place marshmallows in a heat proof bowl. If you are using other than the mini marshmallows, it helps to quicken the melting process if you cut them into smaller pieces. Add water and melt the marshmallows in a double boiler or in a microwave (on medium at 30 seconds intervals).
Stir the marshmallows every now and then to help them melt more consistently.
It also helps with the melting process if you cover your pot with a lid as you wait for the marshmallows to melt.
Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Set aside until the marshmallows are ready. Transfer the melted marshmallows into the bowl filled with the powdered sugar.
Mix the hot marshmallows and sugar with a spoon until about half of the powdered sugar some of the sugar is incorporated. You can also do this with a stand mixer, but just make sure to grease the paddle attachment and the bowl generously with shortening.
Turn the mixture into a well greased work surface. Knead until the fondant comes together into a smooth elastic ball. It will help if you grease your hands when kneading the fondant. Don't worry if you do not use up all the rest of the powdered sugar or if you need to add more. If you do not intend to use the fondant immediately, apply a thin layer of shortening all over the fondant. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.

Coloring the fondant

To color the fondant, it is best to use gel based colors so as to not alter the consistency of the fondant.
If you wish to make a single tone of dark color like black or red fondant, add the coloring to the marshmallows when melting them. That way, you can knead the color into the fondant as you are making the fondant. It helps to wear gloves when working with dark colors so that you do not stain your hands.
If you wish to color your fondant into more than one color, you will have to make white fondant first before dividing it and coloring each section separately. Start with a little color at a time and knead well until your reach the desired tone.
Keep the fondant wrapped until ready to be used to avoid it from drying out.

Top view of homemade marshmallow fondant. — Homemade Marshmallow Fondant - Perfect for Wedding Cakes

Notes - Success Factors

These are some additional things worth taking note of when making your own marshmallow fondant:

Always sift your icing sugar. We do not want our fondant to end up with tiny bumps of icing sugar in it.
Always (and I really mean it) grease your hands, work surface and all your bowls and spoons and spatulas generously with shortening when mixing the fondant. Melted marshmallow can be a pretty gooey mess if you don't grease well.
Fondant should be stored at room temperature. However, always keep the fondant covered. Fondant dries up very quickly and it is important to always keep it covered. It is best to wrap it tightly with cling wrap (plastic wrap or saran wrap) and stored in an air-tight container.

So is marshmallow fondant worth the effort? Well, that is really up to you. Below are some of the pros and cons of making your own fondant, be it the classic homemade version of fondant or the marshmallow version on this page.

The pros of marshmallow fondant:

a lot cheaper than store bought fondant
uses only 3 ingredients
can be made in small batches of fondant
can be adjusted to any flavor
taste of fondant is way better than commercially bought fondant

The cons of marshmallow fondant

Kneading is required
Your kitchen can get messy with icing sugar
Time consuming if you need to make them in large batches.

Like this homemade recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out

Recipe (Printable)

Here is the full printable version of my marshmallow fondant recipe:

📖Recipe

Homemade Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

With this easy marshmallow fondant recipe, you can make your own fondant in absolutely no time at all and save lots of money at the same time!

4.72 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Yield: 230 g

Author: Priya Maha

Metric - US Customary

For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.